Drug Czar Warns Against Taking ‘Bath Salts’ Drugs

By
The Associated Press
on February 3, 2011

White House Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske warned people Tuesday against taking the newest synthetic drugs, often marketed as “bath salts” and being sold legally on the Internet and in drug paraphernalia stores.

The powdered drugs are sold under such brand names as “Ivory Wave” or “Purple Wave.” Kerlikowske said synthetic stimulants in them have made hundreds of users across the country sick already this year. A Mississippi sheriff’s office has said the drugs are suspected in an apparent overdose death there.

“They pose a serious threat to the health and well-being of young people and anyone who uses them,” Kerlikowske said in a written statement. The American Association of Poison Control Centers has received 251 calls related to “bath salts” so far this year, compared to 236 such calls to poison centers during all of 2010.

Rafael Lemaitre, a spokesman for Kerlikowske’s office, said the drugs mimic the effects of cocaine, ecstasy, and LSD.

Kerlikowske’s office convened a meeting of federal drug and health officials at the White House Tuesday to discuss their growing popularity. He was later briefed on that discussion, Lemaitre said.

The “bath salts” drugs, also sometimes labeled as plant food, contain the synthetic stimulants MDPV, or 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone, and mephedrone. Those chemicals are neither controlled by the Drug Enforcement Administration nor approved for human consumption by the Food and Drug Administration.

No plans for federal regulation plans were announced Tuesday. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., has drafted a bill that would add the chemicals to the list of federally controlled substances.

Hawaii, Michigan, Louisiana, Kentucky, and North Dakota are considering legislation to ban the products. Several counties, cities, and local municipalities have also taken action to ban these products.

DEA spokesman Rusty Payne said users “are playing Russian roulette when you are dealing with this stuff.”

Payne said the DEA is working with health officials to study abuse data and other information about the synthetic stimulants used in the “bath salts.” For now, he said people should simply stay away from the drugs.

“Just because something is not illegal . does not mean it’s safe,” Payne said.

The “bath salts” are the latest synthetic drugs to be targeted by federal authorities. In November, the DEA announced its intention to use emergency authority to ban five chemicals used to make synthetic marijuana products that were also sold in drug paraphernalia shops and on the Internet.

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Comments

17 Comments

Anonymous on
February 7, 2011 12:21 am

A hellish comedown after a rave for sure, A hellish comedown from E”s cut with other crap, yes, the comedown is a sticky nasty feeling for sure.
A pure E, a fairly weird comedown but most of the time you’re wired because many are cut with CRANK, which is a really nasty comedown, but if you fall asleep and you’re popping E’s for fun you’re a crackhead! its a “Big Baby Trip to meet Jesus”!

Anonymous on
February 5, 2011 8:24 pm

Acid

Anonymous on
February 5, 2011 7:55 pm

Acid

ElectroPig Von FökkenGrüüven on
February 5, 2011 12:32 pm

[SARCASM]
Using the common “politicalogic”, we should have our politicians draft statutes that makes life itself illegal. After all, hasn’t birth proven to be a cause of death in 100% of all cases so far? Conception itself could be classified under “health regulations” as the leading sexually transmitted disease known to cause death, as well.

Whatever we do, though, we can NEVER let scientific facts enter the debate! We can NEVER admit medical evidence into any “open and honest” conversation. We can’t allow simple things like 10 millennia of safe human use cloud our political vision that the people must be controlled!
[/SARCASM]

ALTERNATIVE PLAN:

Repeal cannabis/hemp prohibition. Save billions of dollars in police, court, lawyer, prosecutor and prison expenses, and the wasted time associated with all of them, where all people involved could have at least had a possibility of contributing to society, instead of uselessly draining it. Save a few billion annually on health care costs by allowing the people to grow their own safe, natural, low-cost and EFFECTIVE medicine.

If those things happen, the government WILL actually earn more in tax revenue as a side benefit (to them), as new businesses are taxable, as are their employees salaries, as are all the business supplies, fixtures, fittings, furniture…and everything else that their employees buy is also taxable. Isn’t it funny how people who are employed and have a few bucks actually spend money?

Repeal Cannabis/Hemp Prohibition…it’s time to Overgrow The World!

Big Baby Jesus on
February 5, 2011 11:21 am

Kits to test your pills are available at dancesafe dot org. (This is NOT spam, just helpful info people) So you can see what you bought before consuming it.

I loved E, and don’t know WTF people are talking about when they say “hellish comedown” since I always fall asleep like a baby. I’d also decide for myself what’s what before I let some naysayer on the web tell me what’s worth what.

Anonymous on
February 5, 2011 6:24 am

Who the hell would try this stuff?

Anything for a buck these days. Ill stay away thanks.

Dave on
February 5, 2011 1:39 am

I think governments should suspend life until they can find safer alternatives! And just because something is illegal doesn’t make it unsafe!

Anonymous on
February 3, 2011 11:19 pm

No joke, I just got back from university & I think someone was smoking MDPV in one of the restrooms… that sucks… the crap gets sucked into the ventilation & spread around… doing it in public like that should be illegal because it violates others’ rights.

Anonymous on
February 3, 2011 7:02 pm

MDMA isn’t worth it! It creates a simple dreamy, surreal feeling; I’ve done it in England & the US multiple times & is massively overrated… I regret it. Cannabis beats it by far!

Anonymous on
February 3, 2011 6:58 pm

It is like methamphetamine with a more hellish comedown actually.

Anonymous on
February 3, 2011 6:56 pm

MDPV shouldn’t be illegal, but it shouldn’t used either. I was exposed to because some fool was smoking or vaping it in a restroom at university & it ruined a bit of my life: terrible anxiety & depression, the crap gets into fabrics via sweat contamination… it’s unimaginably awful, truly terrible. I thought it was meth, but a drug test showed nothing illegal other than THC so the university authorities falsely thought I was making it up! MDPV is so seriously bad; it isn’t worth the on-going anxiety & depression in the slightest.

OniZanza on
February 3, 2011 1:28 pm

If the government would just legalize marijuana we wouldn’t have kids trying to smoke/eat/lick everything in the house to get high. How many time this year has the Food and Drug Administration Had to take something off the shells because kids were using it illegally to catch a buzz and putting their lives at risk of danger or even death. I remember a certain South Park episode where the kids were huffing cat urine to get high. I’m sure kids have tried it. I know I’m preaching tonthe choir but pot is 100% safe and you will never die from over dosing. Legalize it!

“Just because something is not illegal . does not mean it’s safe,” Payne said.

The reasonable person would simply agree and nod their head.
The Unreasonable person would ask, couldn’t use simply flip a few words to produce…
“Just because something IS illegal, DOES mean it’s safe.”